These are the head-spinning 'star trail' images captured by a young photographer who spends his nights studying the Scottish skies. Kirk Norbury, 21, took the snaps deep in the Galloway forest, home to Scotland's first 'dark skies' park where observers can see the sky free from light pollution.

The stunning shots of what appear to be fireworks are actually just photos of stars taken on a long exposure - with the rotation of the earth adding the effect of motion. Kirk, 21, of Ayr, said 'Scottish skies are among the clearest in the world and there is no better place to watch them than from Galloway forest'